


Look how they shine for you

by Astrumiel



Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Gen, Yes I know my astronomy is a little off, also it's been over a year since I wrote a fic and this is a late night drabble be gentle with me, call it a celestial creative license
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-07 18:17:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19474681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrumiel/pseuds/Astrumiel





	Look how they shine for you

When the Very-Nearly-But-Not-Quite-Apocalypse had been averted and both the physical and metaphorical had settled it left both Crowley and Aziraphale feeling a bit lost. After eons of existence and over 6,000 years stationed on earth with their respective duties, being suddenly free of them was decidedly odd. They spent a solid year after looking over their shoulders waiting for some sort of divine (or malevolent) retribution. 

It never came, or at least if it did, neither of them had been aware of it. So when all that dust finally settled they did too - to a little homey stone cottage in the South Downs where a room that the cottage had most certainly not had before, became a personal library. And a garden which had seen more weeds and rocks than flowers in its earlier days, suddenly became the talk of the neighbors (though thankfully there were few enough of those)   
Crow  
Crowley had been in the middle of simultaneously watering and threatening (old habit) the rose bushes when he heard Aziraphale walk up to the little bench they had in the middle of their garden. 

“It’s a rather lovely evening don’t you think my dear?” Aziraphale asked looking up. Crowley looked up too, watching the stars slowly appear as sunlight faded. He turned his gaze to Aziraphale and froze. It was completely impossible of course but just then with the sun setting and their garden as the backdrop Crowley felt as though he was looking at a memory. 

He had just hung a star called Altair letting it settle into place in its constellation, and stood back to see how it all fit together. Just a touch higher and it would be perfect, he made a gesture to move it when a sound of laughter from the nearby halls of heaven caught his attention. Looking over he saw him then, halo sitting in soft white curls and eyes so blue they looked like a piece of a young nebula. An angel far lower in rank than he was but something drew the Archangel closer to get a better look. There was a score of them working on their own tasks together, offering help or sharing news and yet Raphael watched only one. The young angel laughed again and Raphael smiled lightly as well, as though he had been part of the fun. When he turned back to his work now he imagined his next star with a bright blue hue. 

The Almighty had called on him to create a star for a new little planetary system at the edge of a spiral galaxy. “It will be quite special.” She announced. “I quite enjoyed what you did with Polaris as well Raphael.” 

Raphael glanced back towards the halls where he had seen the young angel earlier as he gave Her his thanks. 

It would become a habit of his, to look for the other angel around the Halls of Heaven when he had the spare time to stroll them. He had learned his name from snatches of conversations, and that too made him smile, Aziraphale how lovely. Azira - a rising star.

“Do you wonder what Almighty is going to do with all of these stars?” Uriel asked him once as he pulled rich elements together to form a new nebula. Raphael paused but didn’t look away. “ I suppose . . . that is a good question.” Though his mind was more fixed on something , or rather someone else as he worked on a new star. He did not notice the dark look the other archangel gave him before they left. 

“What will you call these?” She asked examining the pair of bright beautiful stars orbiting each other. 

“Not sure yet, perhaps Centauri for the larger one. . .” Raphael answered her dutifully. He had never had a problem naming his stars before. 

“Is there something on your mind?” She asked.

In his mind's eye he way a kind smile, soft hands reaching to help another of the host with their task. Instead he asked: “ Why do we make all of this?” 

“Everything has its purpose in time.” She answered and reached out to begin a new task. He left her to it, once Almighty began a project it was best not to disturb Her. 

Instead he watched the two new stars orbit each other for a long time, a beautiful little binary system. Perhaps he could show him this, maybe lovely Azriaphale would find it beautiful too. The other would probably be near by in the garden with the other angels, perhaps they could walk there together after. 

A blade came down on his wings as he walked, a fire that charred everything in its path. The pain that followed cut through him so coldly he found he could not even scream. 

“There he is. The traitor.” Uriel’s voice proclaimed or at least it sounded like Uriel. “Questioning the Almighty, until She turned away.” 

No, no that wasn’t what he had done, not what had happened. 

Everything was burning in a fire so much harsher than even the stars he had held just moments ago. He had no voice to protest, or defend himself, but surely if he hadn’t done anything wrong, someone would have intervened by now. 

“Cast him down.” Someone added and he found himself falling. 

They cast down the Archangel, his deep golden hair and star colored eyes disappearing in the flames, his wings burning. Falling and burning down, down very very nearly to the core, just a spark left of what he used to be by the time he hit the bottom. 

The stars seemed so much farther now, seeing them with serpent eyes from this little sphere he sat curled on. It had taken a long time for him to get up after the fall. He spent most of it trying to forget it all, shield himself from the pain of being cast out until the others like him had found him. Needing purpose he accepted the first thing they offered him and slithered into The Garden.

It was a vibrant place, alive with wonders and while he certainly enjoyed the plants and most of the animals he came in contact with something still hurt. He spent the days following man and woman around, waiting for an opportunity to do what he had been instructed to. His nights he spent looking up from hidden places, wondering if he called out would anyone listen at all, or if he’d ever get the chance to touch the stars again. 

It was by chance as he followed the first humans that he spotted the angel of the Eastern Gate. Standing and holding a flaming sword and he cringed, as much as his serpent body would let him do so. That blade burned with the same kind of righteous holy fire that had cut him out of Heaven, but it hurt more to see who held it now. Aziraphale. 

Somewhere inside he knew that Aziraphale would not hurt him with it, still he waited until his mission was done, and until the sword was no longer in sight before he approached. 

Taking a human form after being s serpent for so long proved tricky, and the end result was decidedly not what he had thought it would be - or perhaps it was that he could no longer look like he used to before he fell. 

They spoke, and immediately it was clear that he had been right when he first saw him in Heaven. Aziraphale was special, different from the others. (Giving his righteous sword away so that the first humans could have safety, how utterly kind) As the angel shielded him from the first rains of earth a feather of his drifted down almost unnoticed, until the newly fallen demon picked it up and hid it in his robe. 

“It’s a rather lovely evening don’t you think my dear?” Azira’s voice echoed as Crowley brought himself back to the present. The angel looked illuminated by the light like he still had his halo sitting in his curls. That memory had been buried for so long with all remnants of who he had been before. Reaching out he took Aziraphael’s hand (and oh he still wasn’t used to the fact that he could just do that, but he loved it still) and pulled him close before pointing with his free hand to a bright star just above the horizon. 

“That one’s Altair -” He halted staring at it then abruptly continuing before Aziraphale noticed. “That’s Vega above it and Deneb right there.” Crowley traced a triangle through the sky as he pointed them out. “You go up a little and there’s Mizar and next to it Dubhe and to the north is -” another pause then “That’s umm - Polaris.”

Aziraphale, who had followed Crowley’s little tour of the stars quietly smiling, squeezed his hand and whispered “I had no idea you were such an astronomer my dear.” 

Something tugged at Crowley’s heart strings. “I’ve always loved the stars.” 

“What about that one?” Azira asked 

“That's Alpha Centauri.” Crowley said looking at the stars . Someday I’ll tell you. he thought. 

From this distance here on earth, sitting on the little bench of their little cottage in the South Downs, the binary stars seemed to be one. Gleaming brightly together in the clear cool sky above.


End file.
